Jordan and the Brave Truth

Jordan loved their playroom. It was a rainbow of colour with blocks piled high, soft teddy bears, and a whole collection of cars that zoomed across the rug. But Jordan's favourite was the special wooden train set, a gift from their Nanna. The little blue engine had tiny painted flowers, and the carriages were bright red, green, and yellow. Jordan always played very carefully with it, making sure each piece clicked perfectly onto the smooth wooden tracks.

One sunny afternoon, Jordan was playing trains. The little blue engine chugged along, pulling its colourful carriages around the tracks. Suddenly, Jordan stretched to reach a book on a shelf, and their elbow accidentally bumped the train set. With a soft clatter, a special red carriage, the one with the tiniest painted flower, tumbled off the table. Jordan heard a little 'crack' sound.

Jordan's eyes widened. Oh no! The beautiful red carriage had a tiny piece broken off its side. Jordan’s heart went 'thump-thump-thump' very fast. A big, worried frown appeared on their face. What would Nanna say? What would Mum say? Jordan felt a wobbly feeling in their tummy.

Jordan picked up the broken carriage, holding it gently. They thought about hiding it. Maybe if they tucked it away behind the teddy bears, no one would ever know. But then Jordan thought about Nanna, who always said that being honest was like shining a bright light, even when it felt dark. And Jordan was a kind person, and being kind meant telling the truth, even when it was super scary.

Taking a very deep breath, Jordan clutched the broken carriage in their hand. Their knees felt a bit wobbly, but their heart told them what to do. They walked out of the playroom, searching for Mum. 'Mum?' Jordan's voice was just a little whisper.

Mum was in the kitchen. Jordan slowly held out the little red carriage. 'I… I broke it,' Jordan mumbled, looking down at their shoes. 'I was reaching for a book, and it fell.' Jordan waited, their heart still doing 'thump-thump-thumps'.

Mum knelt down and put an arm around Jordan. She looked at the carriage, then at Jordan's worried face. 'Oh, darling,' she said gently. 'Accidents happen. Thank you for telling me the truth. That was very brave and very kind of you.' Jordan felt a tiny bit of the wobbly feeling float away.

Mum said they could try to fix the carriage together with some special glue. It might not be exactly the same, but it would still be Jordan's special train. Jordan helped Mum carefully hold the tiny broken piece while Mum put the glue on. It was a bit tricky, but they worked together.

Later, as Jordan played with their mended train, they realised something important. Telling the truth felt much better than keeping a secret, even when it was scary. Jordan smiled, feeling proud of being brave and kind. And the little red carriage, with its tiny mended spot, was still very special, a reminder of a brave truth.